Epictetus on Freedom

The unrestricted person, who has in hand what they will in all event is free. But anyone who can be restricted, coerced, or pushed into something against what they will is a slave.

Epictetus, Discourses

Frank Herbert on learning.

“And the first lesson of all was the basic trust that he could learn. It is shocking to find how many people do not believe they can learn, and how many more believe learning to be difficult. Muad’Dib knew that every experience carries its lesson. “


Frank Herbert, Dune.

Harold Bloom – why read?

“The ultimate answer to the question “Why read?” is that only deep, constant reading fully establishes and augments an autonomous self. Until you become yourself, what benefit can you be to others?”

Harold Bloom

Naval on Progress

Marcus Aurelius on living with intention and wellbeing

“Stop drifting. You’re not going to re-read your Brief Comments, your Deeds of the Ancient Greeks and Romans, the commonplace books you saved for your old age. Sprint for the finish. Write off your hopes, and if your well-being matters to you, be your own saviour while you can.”

– Meditations, Marcus Aurelius

Lester Bangs on Rock’n’Roll as a way of life.

“Rock ‘n’ roll is an attitude: it’s not a musical form of a strict sort. It’s a way of doing things, of approaching things. Writing can be rock ‘n’ roll, or a movie can be rock ‘n’ roll. It’s a way of living your life.” – Lester Bangs

Charles Bukowski on love and perspective

“We’re all going to die, all of us. What a circus! That alone should make us love each other, but it doesn’t. We are terrorized and flattened by life’s trivialities; we are eaten up by nothing” — Charles Bukowski

Bruce Lee on self-esteem

The maintenance of self-esteem is a continuous task that taxes all of the individual’s power and inner resources. We have to prove our worth and justify our existence anew each day.” — Bruce Lee

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